Brooklyn Nets: 5 Reasons Why The Season Can’t Be Salvaged
By Tom Firme
Lack Of Desirable Trade Assets
With the Nets unable to pick during the first round of next year’s draft, they might hope to trade for nice young players.
However, the best trade assets wouldn’t earn inspiring returns for the Nets. Brook Lopez’s value is as high as ever since he’s enjoying one of his best scoring seasons. He’s 21st in the league in scoring average.
Newsday’s Rod Boone noted via Twitter that Nets general manager Billy King may make Lopez available.
Billy King admitted he's made some exploratory calls in case #Nets keep heading down this path. Knows they may have to do something.
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) November 9, 2015
Lopez would be a good grab for a team that needs a center, but can hold insurance with frontcourt reserves and has big men around him who can rebound. Lopez missed 160 games the previous four years. Also, Lopez isn’t one to swipe much at the glass, as he pulls down 8.4 rebounds per game this year and 7.4 per game for his career.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweeted of two other potential trade chips.
They have some tradeable assets -- Joe Johnson at the deadline, Jarrett Jack... all could return something. https://t.co/R9KWEkscHe
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) November 27, 2015
On the other hand, one wouldn’t expect valuable up-and-comers in exchange for either Johnson or Jack.
Johnson’s $24.89 million salary is difficult to move. Unless a team is under the salary cap, they would need to match a certain amount. Non-taxpaying teams can take on 125 percent plus $100,000 of what they send. That would likely see a team sending a player with an outsized contract.
Jack might be a nice player for a playoff team in need of a bench scorer, but combining his age (32) with his current production suggests he won’t bring anyone of consequence.
Next: Hollins On Borrowed Time